September has been a busy month for the British Museum with the opening of the sold out Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, which has attracted swarms of crowds, as well as complaints from visitors and lawsuits, too. Now, the museum now trying to rectify those missteps.
On Wednesday, the museum turned away visitors halfway through the day to get ready for a gala dinner it was hosting with its long-term corporate sponsor Samsung to celebrate the “Korea” exhibition that opened on Thursday. The dinner was attended by Chancellor John Healey and liberal democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, while the pre-dinner reception was attended by Princess Anne, according to The Telegraph.
“Unfortunately, delays earlier in the day meant that some visitors were unable to enter at their allotted time. We have apologized to those affected and giving a refund as well as rescheduling their ticket for free. This was an isolated situation and we appreciate visitors’ patience and understanding,” a spokesperson for the museum said, adding that the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition has had unprecedented demand and the museum’s “priority is to enable as many people to see it as possible, while maintaining our commitment to the best possible visitor experience.”
It’s not the first time that the British Museum has come under fire for playing favoritism with high-profile figures. In August, The Guardian reported that the museum privately hosted billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel for a VIP viewing of the tapestry. The visit was hosted by Charlotte Appleyard, the museum’s director of development, on August 18.
The Bayeux Tapestry has been overwhelmingly popular at the British Museum and earlier this week, a blind man filed a lawsuit against the museum over a lack of audio guides at the exhibition. A spokesman for the museum said that they are exploring “a separate audio-described tour as part of the exhibition’s app-based audio guide.”
